Information handling system soft carrying case

ABSTRACT

An information handling system carrying soft case includes fabric forming an interior, such as within a backpack or briefcase form factor, and a sleeve disposed in the interior and sized to contain a portable information handling system housing. The sleeve has a rectangular cover of sufficient area to hold a portable information handling system and coupled to the fabric interior on three sides with an open mesh material at an interior of the sleeve and a corrugated foam at an exterior of the sleeve. The open mesh material has plural evenly spaced openings that pass air in the event of thermal heating in the sleeve and that pass particles out of the sleeve and away from the information handling system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to the field of portable information handling systems, and more particularly to an information handling system soft carrying case.

Description of the Related Art

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.

Portable information handling systems process information with processing components disposed in a portable housing. Generally, portable information handling systems integrate a battery to power processing components when external power is not available, a display to present information as visual images, and an input device to accept end user inputs. In some information handling systems, the display integrates a touchscreen detection device that acts as an input device. Tablet information handling systems typically include a touchscreen in the display as the only integrated input device where the processing components and display are built into a single planar housing having the display exposed at one side surface. Convertible information handling systems typically include a pair of opposing housing portions rotationally coupled by a hinge. In some instances, a keyboard is integrated in an upper surface of one housing portion to accept typed inputs; in other instances, both housing portions have a touchscreen display at their upper surface. The housing portions typically rotate between a closed position, used for transport and storage, a clamshell position, used for typed inputs, and a tablet position, used for touch inputs.

Generally, end users have soft carrying cases that hold portable information handling systems when stored and during transport. For instance, a brief case configuration includes a sleeve that stores a portable information handling system and provides room outside the sleeve to carry other items. As another example, a backpack includes a sleeve, typically on the side adjacent to the end user's back, that accepts a portable information handling system and provides room outside the sleeve to carry other items, as is typical in a backpack. Generally, the sleeve is formed from material sewn to the soft carrying case interior surface so that it compresses to a minimal size if empty and expands to accept an information handling system when needed. Soft carrying cases offer the advantage of a smaller form factor when empty while expanding to accept additional items when needed.

Although soft carrying cases offer convenient ways to transport portable information handling systems along with other items, one difficulty with soft carrying cases is that damage can occur to information handling systems within a soft carrying case due to impacts at the exterior of the soft carrying case. Another difficulty with soft carrying cases is that an information handling system left running within a soft carrying case will typically overheat. Generally, end users turn information handling systems off before putting them into a soft carrying case, however, in some cases an information handling system can inadvertently remain on, such as where a power down sequence fails or a software update unknowingly begins at shutdown that commands a restart. Yet another difficulty that can arise is abrasive damage caused to the information handling system outer housing by impurities caught in the soft carrying case sleeve. Often the carrying case sleeve is simply a sewn-on piece of fabric that traps sand or other small particulates at the bottom of the sleeve. These small particulates grind against the housing surface during micro-movements, such as due to walking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a need has arisen for a system and method which protects a portable information handling system from damage when placed into a soft carrying case sleeve.

In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems for holding portable information handling systems in a soft carrying case. A sleeve device carrying portion couples to an interior of the soft carrying case with a cover sized to fit a portable information handling system upper and lower surface. The device carrying portion includes an open mesh material that passes air between the soft carrying case interior and the sleeve device carrying portion interior to help avoid an excessive thermal state at the portable information handling system.

More specifically, a portable information handling system processes information with processing components disposed in a portable housing and powered by an integrated power source, such as a lithium ion battery. Operation of the processing components releases thermal energy within the portable housing. In one example embodiment, the thermal energy is rejected from the portable housing by active thermal management, such as a cooling fan. A soft carrying case is constructed of fabric to define an interior, such as with a backpack or briefcase form factor. A sleeve device carrying portion couples to the fabric in the interior with a cover having an area sized to fit across an information handling system housing upper or lower surface. The cover couples to the fabric with an open mesh material along three sides with the fourth side having a slot into which the information handling system housing fits. A corrugated cushioning material fits around the open mesh material to the exterior of the sleeve device carrying portion to provide cushioning for the information handling system from impact damage.

The present invention provides a number of important technical advantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that a portable information handling system held in a soft carrying case sleeve device carrying portion is protected from impact damage by a corrugated foam structure that absorbs impact blows from transfer through the soft carrying case to the information handling system. In one example embodiment, the corrugated foam has an accordion configuration that provides room for air transfer within the sleeve at the periphery of the information handling system. An open hole mesh material disposed between the corrugated foam and information handling system provides air circulation between the information handling system and corrugated foam so that thermal energy released from the information handling system can dissipate through openings formed in the mesh to air within the soft carrying case as a whole. In addition, open hole mesh material at the bottom side of the soft carrying case provides space through which particles can pass so that they are kept away from the information handling system housing, thus avoiding micro-movement induced damage to the information handling system housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.

FIG. 1 depicts a side perspective view of a backpack soft carrying case configured to contain a portable information handling system in a sleeve;

FIG. 2 depicts a side cutaway view of a portable information handling system disposed within a sleeve device carrying portion interior;

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C depict side cutaway views of a sleeve device carry portion configured for open mesh material and corrugated foam material to cooperate to manage thermal and contaminant difficulties within a soft carry case;

FIG. 4 depicts an example embodiment of an open mesh material having evenly distributed openings; and

FIG. 5 depicts an example embodiment of an open mesh material having evenly distributed openings of a hexagonal shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A portable information handling system housing side perimeter is held in a soft carrying case sleeve having an open hole mesh that supports air and particle transfer from the sleeve. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a side perspective view depicts a backpack soft carrying case 12 configured to contain a portable information handling system 10 in a sleeve device carrying portion 16. In various embodiments, portable information handling system 10 may have a variety of different form factors, such as a tablet form factor having a single planar housing or a convertible form factor having a housing with opposing planar portions rotationally coupled by a hinge. Information handling system 10 includes processing components disposed in the housing that cooperate to process information, such as a processor and memory that execute an operating system and applications. A battery integrated in information handling system 10 powers the processor and memory without external power. Operation of the processor and memory release thermal energy, which is rejected from information handling system 10 with passive and/or active thermal management. For example, active thermal management is provided by an integrated cooling fan.

In the example embodiment, backpack soft carrying case 12 is built from fabric, such as canvas, vinyl and/or leather, to define an interior in which items are carried. The example embodiment depicts a zipper 14 that offer access to the interior. In various embodiments, soft carrying case 12 may include one or plural zippers to defined one or plural separate interior compartments. For instance, a front zipper 14 by backstraps of backpack soft carrying case 12 may open to provide access to the interior for carrying general items while a rear zipper 14 may open or lower open a rear face of backpack soft carrying case 12, as depicted by FIG. 1, to expose a sleeve device carrying portion 16. Alternatively, the sleeve device carrying portion 12 may be located at the front of backpack soft carrying case 12 by the backstraps while a separate carrying compartment is available at the rear portion of backpack soft carrying device 12. In some embodiments, a single compartment provides room both to have sleeve device carrying portion 16 and to have carrying space for items. In some soft carrying cases, the sleeve device carrying portion separates from the soft carrying case interior, such as to remove from the soft carrying case with information handling system 10 inside. Some briefcase soft carrying devices, in particular, primarily carry just an information handling system 10 without substantial space for other items. For instance, a briefcase soft carrying case may have a zipper that allows it to open in halves that expose the information handling system 10. Those of skill in the art will understand that the sleeve device carrying portion described herein will operate in a variety of soft carrying case configurations to protect an information handling system from impact, thermal and/or particulate damage.

Sleeve device carrying portion 16 is sized to accept portable information handling system 10 with a structure on three sides and an opening formed at the top of backpack soft carrying case 12. A securing strap 18 pulls over the top of portable information handling system 10 with opposing Velcro on security strap 18 and sleeve device carrying portion 16 that couple to capture portable information handling system 10. In an alternative embodiment, sleeve device carrying portion 16 may have protection about all for sides of information handling system 10, such as by using a material flap to cover the opening where information handling system 10 fits into sleeve device carrying portion 16. In briefcase soft carrying cases, one side of the briefcase typically opens with a zipper to provide access to sleeve device carrying portion 16, and the information handling system rests in a landscape orientation as opposed to the portrait orientation for a backpack carrying case. In both the depicted backpack embodiment and a briefcase embodiment, sleeve device carrying portion 16 may have a dedicated compartment, such as separated by its own zipper and fabric from other compartments or may share room with other carrying space. For instance, sleeve device carrying portion 16 may be the only space provided within a dedicated carrying compartment so that information handling system 10 is kept separate from other items.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a side cutaway view depicts a portable information handling system 10 disposed within a sleeve device carrying portion 16 interior. In the example embodiment, a cover front wall 24, depicted exploded away from portable information handling system 10, has an area sized to fit over the bottom or top surface of portable information handling system 10 while three of four sides about the perimeter of information handling system 10 are captured within sidewalls that couple cover 24 to the interior side surface backwall 22 of backpack soft carrying case 12. In the example embodiment, sleeve device carrying portion 16 couples together with backpack soft carrying case 12 using conventional assembly techniques, such as stitching or sewing. In alternative embodiments, alternative coupling techniques can be used. A liner 26 couples around corrugated foam material 28 and open hole mesh material 30 to provide a durable structure. In one embodiment, liner 26 is an interior surface of backpack soft carrying case 12 that couples to cover front wall 24 and back wall 22 to capture corrugated foam material 30 and/or open mesh material 30. In an alternative embodiment, liner 26 is not coupled directly to corrugate foam material 28 or open mesh material 30, which instead couple to back wall 22 and cover front wall 24. In various embodiments, different arrangements of material and coupling techniques may be used to form sleeve device carry portion 16. In one example embodiment, both cover 24 and back wall 22 are compartment walls of the soft carrying device with corrugated foam 28 sewn against liner 26 by open mesh material 30.

Sleeve device carrying portion 16 forms side walls around three sides of portable information handling system 10 with an open mesh material 30 disposed at an interior side of sleeve device carrying portion 16 and a corrugated foam material 28 coupled at the outside surface of open mesh material 30. In the example embodiment, corrugated foam material 28 is, for example, an EVA 38 weight foam cut to have an accordion configuration with ridges along opposing sides that aid in absorption of impact shocks. In alternative embodiments, alternative types of cushions may be used to back open mesh material 30 and provide impact damage protection to information handling system 10 with material weights other than 38. For example, some alternative cushioning materials include polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), and cross-linked polyethylene (XPE). Instead of corrugated material 28 other cushioning materials and shapes may be used, such as rectangular corrugation, as opposed to the depicted triangular corrugation, or an undulating “egg crate” style of intersecting compound curves. In such example embodiments, air gaps formed within the force-absorbing structure are accessible through openings of open mesh material 30 so that heated air within sleeve device carrying portion 16 may communicated thermal energy away from information handling system 10. In one example embodiment, open mesh material 30 and cushion material, such as corrugated foam 28, may fully surround an information handling system 10 held within sleeve device carrying portion 16, including along the top and bottom surfaces of information handling system 10, not just the side perimeter.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, a side cutaway view depicts an alternative corrugated foam material 28 disposed at the outer surface of open mesh material 30. In the example embodiment, liner 26 is an outer material of the soft carrying case, such as a canvas material. Corrugated foam material 30 has a flat outer surface formed to rest against liner 26 and a corrugated inner surface with half-diamond shaped ridges that aid in absorption of shocks due to impacts or other accelerations of portable information handling system 10 relative to the soft carrying case. The corrugated inner surface creates air pockets at the intersection with open mesh material 30 to provide two advantages as further illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3C relating to thermal management and contaminant control.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, airflow 32 is depicted to illustrate how air can recycle between the interior of sleeve device carrying portion 16 and the air gaps formed by corrugated foam material 28 at its intersection with open mesh material 30. Open mesh material 30 has plural evenly spaced openings that allow air to pass out of the interior of sleeve device carrying portion 16. If portable information handling system 10 is inadvertently left on or turned on, heated air from within the interior of sleeve device carrying portion 16 tends to migrate through openings of open mesh material 30 to the air gaps of corrugated foam material 28 so that the temperatures around information handling system 10 are reduced. In various embodiments, additional air flow may be encouraged by communicating the air gaps of corrugated foam material 30 with the interior of the soft carrying device outside of sleeve device carrying portion 16 so that additional thermal dissipation is provided.

Referring now to FIG. 3C, an example of particulate management within sleeve device carry portion 16 is illustrated where particulates 34, such as sand and girt, fall through openings of open mesh material 30 and are kept away from information handling system 10. In on example embodiment, the size of the openings formed in open mesh material 30 is selected so that particulates of less than the opening size will fall out of sleeve device carrying portion 16 and into corrugated foam material 28. Once particulates 34 pass through the openings, gravity tends to keep the particulates 34 away from the openings and less likely to pass back into sleeve device carry portion 16. In addition, a particulate trap may be formed at corrugated foam material 28 to capture particulates 34 and keep them away from open mesh material 30. For instance, a sticky material like tape or Velcro may be attached to corrugated foam material 30. Alternatively, the trap may be a slit formed in or along the border of corrugated material 30 that allows particulate 34 to fall through while resisting passage back towards open mesh material 30.

In the example embodiment of FIG. 3C, an opening 36 is formed in corrugated foam material 36 along one side and aligned with a cooling fan 38 exhaust of portable information handling system 10. Opening 36 enhances cooling airflow exit from sleeve device carrying portion 16 in the event that cooing fan 38 operates responsive to elevated thermal conditions within information handling system 10. In various embodiments, an airpath may be provided from opening 36 to other parts of the interior of the soft carrying case.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an example embodiment depicts an open mesh material 30 having evenly distributed openings. In the example embodiment, open mesh material 30 is a locked knit material having openings of approximately one millimeter spaced apart by approximately three to five millimeters. These example opening dimensions are exemplary with actual opening configurations varying based upon the amount of air passage and type of particulate passage that are to be managed. Further, the example embodiment applies an open mesh material having evenly spaced openings formed across the entire surface area; however, in alternative embodiments, only portions of the open mesh material has the evenly spaced openings while other portions have no openings, such as where sewing or other coupling is performed.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an example embodiment depicts an open mesh material having evenly distributed openings of a hexagonal shape. In various embodiments, other types of shapes may be used. In one embodiment, the hexagonal shaped openings may be used along front and rear sides of sleeve device carry portion 16 to further aid in air communication with the rest of the interior of the soft carry case interior. Although FIG. 4 depicts circular open mesh material and FIG. 5 depicts hexagonal shape open mesh material, in alternative embodiments other shapes of openings may be used, such as square mesh similar to a window screen or combinations of different shapes.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An information handling system comprising: a portable housing having a top a bottom and a perimeter; processing components disposed in the housing and operable to cooperate to process information, the processing components releasing thermal energy when processing information; a soft carrying case having an interior; and a device carrying portion formed in the interior having a front wall sized to contain the housing top and a side wall disposed between the soft carrying case and the interior, the side wall having an open hole mesh material formed with plural openings and aligned adjacent an interior of the device carrying portion; wherein the portable housing fits into the device carrying portion with the perimeter adjacent the open hole mesh material.
 2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising: a corrugated cushioning material coupled to the soft carrying case interior and the device carrying portion cover outside of open hole mesh.
 3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the open mesh material comprises a locked knit material.
 4. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the corrugated cushioning material comprises EVA 38 foam.
 5. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the corrugated cushioning material comprises an accordion configuration.
 6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the open hole mesh comprises a material having plural spaced openings through it.
 7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the soft carrying case comprises a backpack having the device carrying portion accessible a zipper.
 8. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the soft carrying case comprises a briefcase.
 9. A method for manufacture of an information handling system soft carrying case, the information handling system having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side perimeter between the top and bottom surfaces, the method comprising: coupling fabric into a carrying case form to define an interior; cutting a cover sized to fit in the interior and over the top surface; and coupling the cover to the interior with an open hole mesh material coupled to the cover and the interior to form a device carrying portion sized to accept the information handling system, the open hole mesh material having plural spaced openings that communicate air between an interior of the device carrying portion and the interior of the carrying case.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: cutting a corrugated cushioning material sized to fit along the information handling system side perimeter; and coupling the corrugated cushioning material to the device carrying portion exterior proximate the open hole mesh material.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the corrugated cushioning material comprises EVA 38 foam.
 12. The method of claim 10 further comprising: cutting a particle trap to fit along one side of the open hole mesh material; and coupling the particle trap between the open hold mesh and the corrugated cushioning material to trap particles that pass from the device carrying portion interior and through the open hole mesh.
 13. The method of claim 10 further comprising: cutting an opening in the corrugated cushioning material having a size corresponding to a size of an information handling system exhaust opening; and aligning the corrugated cushioning material opening with an expected position of an information handling system fan exhaust upon insertion of the information handling system into the device carrying portion.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein the coupling fabric into a soft carrying case further comprises forming a backpack carrying case.
 15. The method of claim 10 wherein the coupling fabric into a soft carrying case further comprises forming a briefcase.
 16. A soft carrying case comprising: fabric forming an interior; and a device carrying portion coupled to one side of the interior and sized to accept an information handling system, the device carrying portion having a cover coupled to the one side of the interior by an open mesh material that communicates air between the fabric interior and device carrying portion.
 17. The soft carrying case of claim 16 further comprising: a corrugated cushioning material disposed at the open mesh material on an exterior of the device carrying portion; and wherein the cover has a rectangular shape of four sides and the corrugated cushioning material and open mesh material extend along three of the four sides.
 18. The soft carrying case of claim 17 wherein open mesh material comprises plural evenly spaced openings.
 19. The soft carrying case of claim 17 wherein the fabric forms a backpack.
 20. The soft carrying case of claim 17 wherein the fabric forms a briefcase. 